Chapter 45: Punishment and the Northeast China Competition...
Chapter 45
As she said this, Qin Mingxiu tried to hide her luggage behind her back.
Comrade Gao glanced at her luggage, then looked away and gestured firmly, "Coach Qin, please come with me."
Then, he turned his head to look at Li Qingqing behind Qin Mingxiu, "And Comrade Li Qingqing, come with me too."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingqing's face turned deathly pale, and she subconsciously looked at Qin Mingxiu.
Qin Mingxiu clenched her fists suddenly; she knew the truth had come out.
However, she had spent her entire life on the front lines and had experienced many ups and downs, so she quickly settled down.
"Comrade Gao, I didn't know the old regimental commander was looking for me?"
It also carried a hint of probing.
Comrade Gao remained expressionless, exuding the steely resolve of a soldier. "You'll see when you get there."
"Let's go."
Without giving Qin Mingxiu any room to refuse, he made an inviting gesture.
Qin Mingxiu was trembling all over, but even at this moment, she still didn't forget to turn around and glare fiercely at Li Qingqing.
The threat posed there is self-evident.
If you dare to admit it, you're finished!
Li Qingqing knew she was being threatened; her legs went weak and her mind went blank.
She knew she had been exposed.
She's doomed!
It's only a ten-minute walk from the small warehouse to the old regimental commander's office.
But those ten minutes were the hardest for Qin Mingxiu and Li Qingqing.
Comrade Gao walked at the back, his steps unhurried, his black military boots clicking on the concrete corridor. He stared intently at Qin Mingxiu from beginning to end, as if he were supervising a prisoner.
Qin Mingxiu tried her best to straighten her back, but her knees still went weak involuntarily. In her eighteen years in the industry, she had never been so embarrassed and treated like a criminal.
This is even more shameful.
Li Qingqing followed behind, walking almost hugging the wall the whole way, sobbing the entire time.
It wasn't until she encountered Shen Qiuyue on the road that Shen Qiuyue's eyes instantly reddened as she watched her teacher and junior sister being taken away.
She tried to step forward, but Qin Mingxiu glared at her intently, "What's it to you?"
What are you doing here?
Even at this point, teacher Qin Mingxiu was still considering Shen Qiuyue's well-being.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qiuyue burst into tears. "Teacher!"
Qin Mingxiu ignored her, brushed past her, and didn't even say a word.
Li Qingqing looked at Shen Qiuyue standing by the roadside, tears streaming down her face. "Senior Sister."
Shen Qiuya wanted to step forward.
Qin Mingxiu turned around coldly, "Li Qingqing, try calling me 'Senior Sister' again?"
Coach Qin's authority was deeply ingrained in the Jishi Cultural Troupe. For Li Qingqing and the other trainees, Qin Mingxiu was their god.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, Li Qingqing immediately stopped talking. She dared not utter another word or open her mouth.
He could only turn back, tears streaming down his face as he left, facing Shen Qiuyue.
Shen Qiuyue watched as her best teacher and her most trusted junior sister were taken away together.
Her face turned deathly pale, and she murmured, "How can I help you?"
"No, I'm going to find Uncle Zhang." The Uncle Zhang she was referring to was Zhang Xiangnan, Qin Mingxiu's lover.
On the other side.
Qin Mingxiu and Li Qingqing were still lost in thought when they were led to the door of the old regimental commander's office. Neither of them noticed they had arrived until Comrade Gao called out in a low voice, "We're here."
They were surprised to find that they had arrived so quickly.
Am I going to be executed by slow slicing?
Neither of them uttered a word.
Comrade Gao didn't expect Qin Mingxiu to knock on the door. He took a step forward and knocked on the door with his finger.
Knock knock knock.
After three sounds.
The door to the old regimental commander's office was pushed open, and it was already packed with people.
Sitting directly opposite the door was the old regimental commander, with a black hardcover notebook spread out in front of him. His brows were furrowed, clearly thinking about how to handle the matter.
This is a scandal, and if it is not handled properly, the reputation of the entire Federation of Literary and Art Circles may be ruined.
Sitting to the left of the old regimental commander was He Chu, who was watching the excitement.
And Commander Qi, who accompanied Meng Yingying, were in a neutral position, so they were neither too close nor too far from the old commander.
Judging from their gaze, they seemed to have ill intentions.
Sitting to the right of the old commander were Commander Fang and Coach Zhao. Behind them stood Meng Yingying, as well as Ye Yingtao and Lin Qiu, who had arrived late. Their expressions were inscrutable.
When they saw Qin Mingxiu enter, they all looked at her with a hint of hostility.
A little further back were Coach Li and Huang Yamei. Huang Yamei, as an important witness, was forcibly pressed into a chair. This was the first time the young girl, who had been in the performing arts troupe for so many years, had seen so many high-ranking leaders.
Her face turned pale with fright, but she stubbornly clenched her fists, forcing herself not to show any fear.
As for Director Cao of the Jishi Cultural Troupe, she was sitting by the left rear door. When Qin Mingxiu appeared, she frowned, clearly showing some dissatisfaction.
As for what she was dissatisfied with, only she herself knew.
A thousand people, a thousand faces. This small office of just over twenty square meters has now become like a small society, with everyone acting on their own.
Comrade Gao shoved Qin Mingxiu, his voice cold, "Go inside!"
Without the slightest expression.
Qin Mingxiu stumbled in, pushed along the way. When she looked up and saw the people in the office, her heart sank. It was the top leaders of both units, her mortal enemy. It seemed that everyone had arrived.
Is this a three-way interrogation of her?
"Everyone's here." The old leader, as the head of the literary association and the initiator of this matter, spoke in a low voice, silencing all the whispers. "Qin Mingxiu, do you know why we brought you here?"
The word "grab" is brilliant.
Qin Mingxiu straightened up, using her last breath to say, "I don't know."
"I don't understand, what wrong have I, Qin Mingxiu, done that warrants your joint interrogation and arrest of me?"
She even went so far as to accuse others of wrongdoing, saying, "Have you forgotten? I am still a coach at the Jilin City Cultural Troupe and a judge at the Heilongjiang Province Arts Festival."
She has a long list of titles.
They are not people they can mess with at will.
Even after all this, she's still stubbornly refusing to admit it.
The old regimental commander turned to Huang Yamei and said, "Comrade Huang, repeat what you heard at noon and tell all of us, including Qin Mingxiu."
Huang Yamei took a deep breath, stood up, her voice trembling but clear, "At noon today, I originally planned to go back to the small warehouse to get a handkerchief and an enamel mug, but at the door, I overheard Coach Qin asking Li Qingqing whether the needle had been put in Meng Yingying's dance shoes. Li Qingqing said no, she was scared and didn't put it in, and then Coach Qin slapped her."
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingxiu suddenly realized that the commotion outside the warehouse at noon was not caused by a stray cat passing by.
It was Huang Yamei.
Someone overheard them!
Thinking of this, Qin Mingxiu's eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at Huang Yamei. "Huang Yamei, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."
"If you're lying and trying to implicate me, be careful you don't get struck by lightning!"
Huang Yamei trembled with fear at her glare, but Coach Li supported her to prevent her from falling to the ground. "Don't threaten my student when she's speaking. Otherwise, I can interpret it as you forcing her to fabricate a story."
After saying that, without paying any attention to Qin Mingxiu's reaction, she patted Huang Yamei's arm and said, "Continue."
Huang Yamei took a deep breath, avoiding Qin Mingxiu's eyes. She lowered her head and continued, "Li Qingqing said she saw Jia Xiaoli being arrested in public by Comrade Gao. She was scared, so she didn't put the needle in Meng Yingying's dance shoes. Later, Coach Qin asked her where the needle was. Li Qingqing said she threw the needle under the big tree at the entrance of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and buried it there."
After he finished speaking, the room became eerily quiet.
Everyone stared at Qin Mingxiu and Li Qingqing.
The old regimental commander stood up, walked up to Qin Mingxiu, and asked her, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Qin Mingxiu clenched her fists tightly, turned her head away, and sneered, "If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason. This is just Huang Yamei's side of the story."
"With so many high-ranking leaders here, you wouldn't actually believe what Huang Yamei, this young girl, has to say, would you? You've probably forgotten that Huang Yamei's coach and I are competitors, and Huang Yamei is also a rival of my student, Shen Qiuyue. She wants to bring down my student and me, so she fabricated this baseless rumor to slander me. You wouldn't actually believe her, would you?"
The old troupe leader stared at Qin Mingxiu. To be honest, he was somewhat disappointed. Over the years, he had gotten old and basically stopped doing anything in the literary association, usually just being treated as a mascot.
He entrusted everything to Zhang Xiangnan, and even trusted Zhang Xiangnan's wife, Qin Mingxiu.
But that's the result of being trusted.
Are you sure?
He asked.
Qin Mingxiu clenched her teeth tightly and nodded, "I'm sure."
The old team leader ignored her and instead walked up to Li Qingqing. "Do you agree with what your coach said?"
At this question, more than a dozen pairs of eyes in the room turned to Li Qingqing.
Li Qingqing could no longer bear the pressure. She burst into tears and knelt down with a thud. "I buried it, but I didn't put it in my shoe. I was scared..."
With that one word, she instantly refuted Qin Mingxiu's previous sophistry.
Qin Mingxiu's face turned pale instantly, and she still tried to argue, "The child was terrified; that's just her side of the story—"
"Enough!"
The old regimental commander walked up to Qin Mingxiu, slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang that made everyone's eardrums tremble. "At this point, you still want to argue?"
"With witnesses and physical evidence, what else do you want to argue about?"
"I'm asking you one last time, whose idea was it to put that needle under the tree?"
Qin Mingxiu's face was deathly pale. She forced herself to straighten her spine and pressed her tongue against her palate to muster any courage to resist.
"What needle? I have no idea! Commander, you can't just believe everything you hear. This child is terrified and that's why he's talking nonsense. You can't take a child's ramblings as fact."
We've reached this point.
She still refuses to admit it and shows no remorse!
The old regimental commander took a deep breath.
Meng Yingying stepped out from behind Coach Zhao, her tone very calm, "Dig."
"Then let's dig under the big tree. We'll know whether it's real or fake once we dig."
As soon as Meng Yingying finished speaking, Qin Mingxiu turned her head and felt like she wanted to devour Meng Yingying alive.
Qi Donghan, who was originally standing at the back and had nothing to do with it, stepped forward and stood right in front of Meng Yingying, blocking Qin Mingxiu's view.
He casually remarked, "Is Coach Qin planning to kill me with his gaze?"
He raised his eyes and swept them over the room full of people. "I'm afraid you can't kill them all, can you? There are more than a dozen people in the room. I wonder whose mouth you can silence?"
That's a really serious statement.
Qin Mingxiu's expression changed instantly, and she vehemently denied it, "I didn't!"
"If there isn't any, then dig!"
Qi Donghan then said this.
Qin Mingxiu was speechless after being rebuked.
"You left? Don't you feel wronged?"
Qi Donghan walked to the door and said, "Go dig under the big tree, and the truth will come out if you're innocent."
Qin Mingxiu's feet seemed to be rooted to the ground, unable to move.
"Walk."
Comrade Gao showed no mercy and pushed her from behind.
Qin Mingxiu had no choice but to drag her heavy legs and stagger forward.
As for Li Qingqing, no one paid any attention to her. With so many people watching, and being young and easily embarrassed, she was also neglected.
There is no other way but to go with the past.
They marched in a grand procession, attracting many people along the way.
At this moment, a crowd had gathered three or four times around the old locust tree in front of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
Almost everyone who heard the commotion came to see what was going on. Even the head cook from the kitchen came running over with his ladle.
After everyone arrived.
Comrade Gao carried a shovel, stuck it into the tree root, and asked, "Who's going to do the first shovel?"
The old regimental commander raised his chin. "They buried it themselves, so they dug it up themselves."
This was said to Qin Mingxiu, but since Qin Mingxiu didn't place the needle, she didn't know its exact location.
This time, instead of denying it outright, she said, "Old Commander, I don't know."
She said she didn't know.
Li Qingqing, who was at the very back, reached out her hand tremblingly, "I'll do it."
"I'll dig."
She buried it; she knew where the needle was.
She wanted to atone for her sins.
The coach won't help her; only she can save herself.
When Qin Mingxiu saw how deftly she took the shovel, she wanted to kill her with her eyes.
However, with so many people around, Li Qingqing wasn't so afraid of her anymore, and she just wanted to resolve this matter as soon as possible.
If this continues, every minute and every second will feel like a slow, agonizing death for her.
"Coach, give it to me."
When Qin Mingxiu handed over the shovel reluctantly, Li Qingqing practically snatched it from her.
We don't wait for instructions.
Li Qingqing took a shovel and began digging at the base of the tree, but the shovel was too small and there was too much soil.
In the midst of the chaos, she buried them haphazardly.
With each shovel strike, the soil was turned upside down. The surrounding area was fine, but for Qin Mingxiu, this was hardly turning over soil.
This is clearly like digging up her grave.
Every time the grave is turned over, the grave mound cracks open again.
By the time she got to the second shovelful, Qin Mingxiu had already closed her eyes; she didn't want to look.
I don't want to watch it at all.
But then, Li Qingqing's voice rang out, "We found it!"
Comrade Gao immediately stepped forward, bent down, and turned over a small silver needle from a pile of soil. He picked it up separately, and when it was exposed to the sunlight, it immediately flashed with a cold light.
Especially the needle tip, which is small and sharp.
"My goodness!"
Someone in the crowd blurted out, "If this were inside a dance shoe, the whole foot would be ruined."
Let alone dancing, even walking is difficult.
"Yeah, what a heartless person they are to put needles in someone's dance shoes before they even start dancing."
"This is practically an attempt to kill someone."
"If you don't notice it while walking, and then you fall while dancing in the air, and a needle pricks the sole of your foot, it's not just your foot that's hurt, your whole body could be in trouble."
If you fall from a great height and survive, you're lucky.
"That's utterly heartless."
Everyone is cursing.
Meng Yingying was similar; when she saw the thin needle that was a full three centimeters long, her face turned pale instantly.
She knew better than anyone that this one needle prick could, at worst, ruin her career, and if she was lucky, could even kill her.
"Qin Mingxiu, I have no grudge against you, why are you going to such lengths to kill me?"
From the very beginning, if Qin Mingxiu had inserted that needle, her intention would have been to ruin Meng Yingying's life.
Qin Mingxiu lowered her eyes and remained silent.
Because she knew that from the moment that needle was dug out, all her lies were empty.
"I--"
She wanted to speak, but the words stuck in her throat, unable to come out.
"Qin Mingxiu, do you still want to deny it?"
The one who asked this question was the old regimental commander.
Qin Mingxiu closed her eyes and reached out her hand, "I did it, I did it, I admit it."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qiuyue, who was standing in the crowd, burst into tears. "Teacher."
She covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound.
"What about fifteen years ago?"
"Fifteen years ago, my coach suffered a ligament strain and missed the finals. Was that your doing?"
No one expected that Meng Yingying would step forward at this moment. She wasn't asking about the silver needles this time, but about something that happened fifteen years ago.
The fact that silver needles were placed in the dance shoes before the competition has been exposed. What Meng Yingying is doing is simply seeking justice for her coach based on this incident.
Of course, it was also to take advantage of her illness and kill her!
Coach Zhao was stunned at first, and the next second her shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably. It was an old injury, and an old grudge. She thought she would never get an answer to it in this lifetime.
But she never expected that her last student would stand up for her and ask the question in front of everyone.
Qin Mingxiu, who had been slumped on the ground, felt as if she had been pricked in the spine by a needle upon hearing this. She suddenly straightened her back and said in a split voice, "Don't try to pin things on me without evidence!"
"evidence?"
When He Chu, who was at the very back, tilted her head, Coach Li, who was standing next to her, immediately handed her a yellowed photocopy of her medical record.
"The team doctor who gave you the massage back then has written a statement—the night before the game, you asked him to focus on relaxing Zhao Pingshui's Achilles tendon, and the next day when she came off the field, she strained her ligament. This is the team doctor's signature and fingerprint."
Director He has been keeping this evidence.
She even brought it with her every time she came to Harbin. Because, in principle, it was the right thing for her not to seek justice for Zhao Pingshui back then, since the provincial song and dance troupe only wanted people of value.
But from a personal perspective, Zhao Pingshui is truly pitiful.
She clearly had better conditions back then; she was clearly the champion, the number one.
She even had a chance to join the provincial song and dance troupe, but because of Qin Mingxiu, her future was ruined.
He became the perennial runner-up.
Even years later, when she was ostracized by the Jishi Cultural Troupe and could no longer stay, she had to resign and was taken in by Director Fang.
From a public perspective, Zhao Pingshui was worthless, but from a private perspective, Director He always felt that he owed Zhao Pingshui something.
But for so many years, she never had the chance to say it until this time.
She finally took out the thin piece of paper that she always brought with her when she came to Harbin.
The words on white paper, written in black and white, along with the red fingerprint, resembled a red-hot branding iron, burning directly into Qin Mingxiu's eyes.
Her lips trembled, and she tried to argue, but couldn't utter a single coherent sentence.
Coach Zhao stared blankly at the paper. Seventeen years of hard training, countless runner-up finishes, and the day before she was forced to leave the Jilin City Cultural Troupe, she barely slept a wink.
No, it should be said that for so many years in the Jishi Cultural Troupe, she has been known as the perennial runner-up, and has always been suppressed by Qin Mingxiu. She has had a bad time in the Jishi Cultural Troupe, not at all.
And now she realizes that her misery is all written on this one page.
It turns out that the truth they investigated back then was false.
It turns out that what the team doctor said was also a lie.
It turns out that this yellowed piece of paper held the truth that had been buried for many years.
Coach Zhao's eyes were red, but he held back a single tear.
Meng Yingying suddenly stepped forward, her voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "Director He, leaders, I would like to say a few words."
After receiving the nods, she faced the crowd and bowed deeply, at a full ninety degrees.
A moment later, she got up.
"Fifteen years ago, my coach was sabotaged and missed the stage where she should have won the championship; fifteen years later, the same person tried to use the same method on me. If Huang Yamei hadn't happened to overhear, it might have been my coach and me kneeling here crying today."
The moment those words were spoken, the room fell silent.
Meng Yingying continued, raising her eyes to gaze directly at Qin Mingxiu's face, and said, word by word, "Coach Qin, you once taught your students that 'one minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage,' but you forgot—'Heaven is watching what people do.' If ten years isn't enough, then fifteen; if fifteen years isn't enough, then a lifetime!"
"Everything you do leaves a trace, and you see, this is it now."
At this point, she suddenly changed the subject, "Do you believe in karma?"
Meng Yingying walked up to Qin Mingxiu, whose face showed more frustration than anything else.
She didn't speak.
He just stared coldly at Meng Yingying, "I don't believe in cause and effect, I only believe in the victor taking all. If you have to blame someone, blame me for making a wrong move back then, or blame someone for being too lucky."
If Jia Xiaoli hadn't put laxatives in the soy milk, then Li Qingqing's needle would have been inserted.
Jia Xiaoli had just given Meng Yingying a warning by administering a laxative.
That's how the idea of "killing one to warn a hundred" came about.
However, looking back, it was a good thing Jia Xiaoli was arrested back then. If it had happened sooner or later, things might not be the way they are today.
Meng Yingying smiled suddenly and frankly admitted, "Yes, I'm lucky. If I weren't lucky, I wouldn't have been sent to Coach Zhao's side."
"Don't you think so?"
Qin Mingxiu did not answer.
"Arrest him."
Meng Yingying abruptly changed her tone, her voice carrying a rare sharpness.
Comrade Gao hesitated for a moment, then went to see the old regimental commander.
Before the old commander could answer, Commander Cao impatiently answered for him, "Arrest him. Investigate both old and new cases. Those who harm others will ultimately harm themselves. Qin Mingxiu, you won't escape this time."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qin Mingxiu looked up abruptly. You see, for all these years, she had been working for Commander Cao.
Her winning the championship meant that the Jilin City Cultural Troupe won the championship.
The students she mentors are outstanding; the Jilin City Cultural Troupe is particularly impressive.
Commander Cao, if not all of what she did, at least tacitly approved of half of it.
When Qin Mingxiu suddenly looked over, Commander Cao's heart skipped a beat. She immediately distanced herself from the situation, saying, "I really didn't expect you, Qin Mingxiu, to be this kind of person. I've been ashamed to be associated with you all these years."
Before Qin Mingxiu could even speak, she saluted the old troupe leader, saying, "Leader, I bear responsibility for mismanagement in this egregious incident! But Shen Qiuyue was completely unaware of it; she was only responsible for dancing, and all the planning was done by Qin Mingxiu alone. I request—Qin Mingxiu be suspended from her duties pending investigation, and Shen Qiuyue's eligibility for the competition be preserved!"
This is a strategy of sacrificing a pawn to save the king.
No, Shen Qiuyue is still young and has a bright future, so she chose to protect Shen Qiuyue directly.
Thus, he gave up on Qin Mingxiu, who was older and flamboyant.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mingxiu abruptly looked up, her eyes bloodshot. "Commander Cao! I've served you for over a decade, over a decade!"
"Shut up!" Commander Cao hissed, veins throbbing on his forehead. "What you're selling is treachery, cunning, and ruthlessness, not lives!"
Then, seemingly afraid that Qin Mingxiu would continue to pull, Cao Tuan pulled Shen Qiuyue out of the crowd.
"Look at her. She knew nothing about it, yet you've ruined her reputation. Do you really want to continue this?"
"Not only have you ruined her, but you're also ruining Shen Qiuyue's life?"
Commander Cao looked at Qin Mingxiu, and Qin Mingxiu understood what she meant.
She was using Shen Qiuyue to threaten herself.
If it were anyone else, Qin Mingxiu wouldn't be threatened, but it just so happens that the person is Shen Qiuyue.
She was her prized student, her half-daughter.
She had taken the child in with her since he was six years old.
She had also placed high hopes on Shen Qiuyue. Thinking of this, Qin Mingxiu closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she had made up her mind. "It was because I couldn't stand Meng Yingying and didn't want Meng Yingying to win the championship that I instructed Li Qingqing to put needles in Meng Yingying's dance shoes."
She admitted it.
He admitted it in public.
At this point, Qin Mingxiu seemed to have cut off all her own paths.
Shen Qiuyue was in the crowd, crying uncontrollably, pleading with everyone, "Teacher."
"I beg you, please let my teacher go. She was too eager to win, and that's why she made a mistake. But everyone makes mistakes in life. So please, for the sake of my teacher, who has worked like a slave for the performing arts troupe for so many years, please let her go this time."
Please, I beg you.
Shen Qiuya, her face pale, knelt down and kowtowed to everyone.
Each note was louder than the last.
Meng Yingying avoided it.
Coach Zhao avoided the situation.
Commander Fang avoided the situation.
He Chuchang retorted, "If kowtowing were effective, Zhao Pingshui would have already kowtown her way into the provincial song and dance troupe back then. Why would it be your turn to kowtow?"
"A mistake is a mistake, and a fundamental error is a fundamental error. If kowtowing could solve everything, then what's the point of having rules?"
The old regimental commander stepped forward, his expression indifferent. "Chief He is right. Since it is a matter of principle, then it should be handled in accordance with the rules and regulations."
After saying this, he glanced at the crowd and completely ignored Shen Qiuyue, who was still kowtowing.
Finally, they turned their attention to Qin Mingxiu and announced the punishment.
"After our unanimous consultation, the results of this handling are as follows: First, Qin Mingxiu is suspended from her duties and handed over to the Political Department and the Military Police Company for joint investigation; Second, although Li Qingqing was instructed by someone, she also has her own problems. She will be given a major demerit and placed on probation in the regiment. If she makes a mistake again, she will be directly expelled; Third, as the beneficiary, Shen Qiuyue's public activities will be suspended pending the results of the subsequent investigation."
"If the subsequent investigation finds that Shen Qiuyue is not involved, she will be released to participate in training and competitions as usual. However, if she is involved, we will discuss the outcome of her case and announce it to the public again."
The dust has settled.
The decision was final.
Shen Qiuyue never expected to be involved, and she even forgot to cry.
So much so that she was stunned when Qin Mingxiu was taken away.
I was completely stunned.
When Qin Mingxiu was taken away, she shook her head at Shen Qiuyue, who was in tears.
This signaled to her to stop wasting her time.
To be honest, she was moved when Shen Qiuyue kowtowed and begged for help, and she felt that her efforts for this student had not been in vain.
Shen Qiuyue murmured, "Teacher."
Without her teacher protecting her, what will she do next?
At this moment, Qin Mingxiu naturally couldn't comfort her anymore. As she was leaving, she happened to pass by Coach Zhao. Qin Mingxiu, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up at her and said, "Zhao Pingshui, I didn't lose to you, I lost to Meng Yingying."
Without Meng Yingying, none of this would have happened.
No one knew that, from the day she joined the performing arts troupe, she had always regarded Zhao Pingshui as her rival.
For the first eighteen years, that was indeed the case; Zhao Pingshui was suppressed by her and couldn't lift her head, and was even ostracized by her.
Coach Zhao looked up at her. "Do you still think that way? It seems you didn't listen to what my student said."
"What?"
Zhao Pingshui sneered, "What goes around comes around. It's not that retribution won't come, it's just that the time hasn't come yet. You say you didn't lose to me, but if it weren't for me, my Meng Yingying would never have gone against Shen Qiuyue. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had people targeting Meng Yingying."
"Qin Mingxiu, do you know that you are still as hypocritical as ever? If Meng Yingying were not my student, Zhao Pingshui, would you still be targeting her?"
The answer is no.
Qin Mingxiu defeated Zhao Pingshui once with underhanded tactics. Ever since then, she has been feeling guilty and anxious. In the days that followed, she repeatedly suppressed Zhao Pingshui.
She was afraid Zhao Ping would get angry.
She was also afraid that Zhao Pingshui's students would surpass her own.
Therefore, Qin Mingxiu was speechless when faced with Zhao Pingshui's question.
"Meng Yingying is my student."
"Moreover, she will win against Shen Qiuyue time and time again in future competitions."
"Don't worry."
Zhao Pingshui took two steps closer to her and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "When my student wins the competition, I will inform you, who has been defeated."
Zhao Pingshui knew where Qin Mingxiu's pride lay.
Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, Qin Mingxiu's expression changed immediately, and she said in a sharp voice, "Don't even think about it."
"My student Shen Qiuyue is the most talented; Meng Yingying is a complete novice—"
Before she could finish speaking, Qi Donghan stuffed a piece of rag, which he didn't know where it came from, into her mouth.
Her face instantly contorted into a ferocious expression as she glared intently at Qi Donghan.
Qi Donghan frowned. "It's so noisy."
"Xiao Gao, why aren't you taking her away? What are you doing leaving her here?"
In a single sentence, Comrade Gao instantly received the order. He saluted and said, "Yes, sir."
They turned around and took Qin Mingxiu away, while her lover Zhang Xiangnan never showed up.
Finally, just as Qin Mingxiu led him to the corner, Zhang Xiangnan peeked out and met Qin Mingxiu's gaze.
A cold smile appeared on Qin Mingxiu's lips.
Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately.
This sentence is most fitting for them.
Zhang Xiangnan's face was somewhat grim, but he ultimately didn't dare to follow. He was worried that if he stepped forward, the old regimental commander would remember him.
Because his lover Qin Mingxiu was investigated, he was also implicated and investigated.
How many of those who have reached their positions dare to confidently guarantee that their past is completely clean and can withstand scrutiny?
The crowd dispersed, and Shen Qiuyue walked over, her face filled with disgust. "Uncle Zhang, why didn't you speak up for my teacher when she was taken away?"
"Are you afraid? Are you afraid of implicating you?"
Zhang Xiangnan can do it, but he cannot be criticized.
"Qiuya—"
Before he could finish speaking, Commander Cao interrupted him, "Qiuya, come here."
"The old regimental commander has something to inform you about."
Clearly, with Qin Mingxiu gone, if the Jishi Cultural Troupe is to have a place in Heilongjiang Province, then it's almost a certainty that Director Cao will protect Shen Qiuyue.
Shen Qiuyue is young and a top student. Even though she won the runner-up title this time, it doesn't mean she lacks talent.
On the contrary, her talent is outstanding; otherwise, she wouldn't have remained at the top of the rankings for so many years.
However, if Shen Qiuyue is saved, then Qin Mingxiu will inevitably become someone who is worthless and thus sacrificed.
Clearly, she is following in the footsteps of Zhao Pingshui. Back then, Zhao Pingshui's future was bleak due to a ligament injury, so even if the higher-ups knew that she had been framed, she was still able to succeed.
They still chose to settle things peacefully.
After all, Zhao Pingshui is ruined, but Qin Mingxiu's talent remains, and she has a bright future. Protecting Qin Mingxiu means protecting the future of the Jishi Cultural Troupe.
Qin Mingxiu certainly did not disappoint; her presence ensured the Jishi Cultural Troupe's continued success for over a decade.
Now, Commander Cao has placed the hopes and glory of the Jishi Cultural Troupe on Shen Qiuyue.
Feeling pressured by her gaze, Shen Qiuyue lowered her head and asked, "Leader, did you not know the old regimental commander was looking for me?"
You'll see when you get there.
Although Commander Cao's expression was not good, he seemed to have grasped something else.
Shen Qiuyue was somewhat confused, but without her teacher intervening for her, she could only be a puppet in Commander Cao's hands.
Inside the office of the former head of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
Of the three teams that Meng Yingying and her team won the championship, two are now here: one is the team from Harbin No. 101 Art Troupe, and the other is the team of Huang Yamei, who won the third place.
While she was still guessing.
The former troupe leader said, "I'll announce it all together when the people from the Jishi Cultural Troupe arrive."
Why are we still waiting for the Jilin City Cultural Troupe?
Meng Yingying suppressed her doubts and exchanged a glance with Coach Zhao. Coach Zhao was also puzzled and looked at Commander Fang.
As a superior, Commander Fang had a keener sense of things. She guessed something and her expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Director He, however, knew perfectly well what was going on. She fiddled with her sunglasses and quietly waited for someone to come over.
After a while, Commander Cao arrived with Shen Qiuyue.
Everyone immediately turned their attention to this.
The old commander said, "Now that everyone is here, I'll explain why I asked you to come."
"I'm sure you all know that the people here are the top three in our Heilongjiang Province Arts Festival."
The old commander had only just begun when Meng Yingying knew what he was going to say.
This means that the joint performance and competition of the three northeastern provinces is about to be officially announced.
Sure enough, as soon as Meng Yingying had this idea, the old troupe leader said, "This year's situation is a bit special. It just so happens to coincide with the joint performance of the three northeastern provinces, which takes place every three years. The official competition will start in two months."
"That means there are less than two months left until the joint performance and competition of the three northeastern provinces."
The moment those words were spoken, the room erupted in chaos.
What is the joint performance of the three northeastern provinces?
Clearly, Huang Yamei and the others had never even heard of it. Or rather, it was just that the timing was perfect; for a long time, the cultural troupe in Heilongjiang Province was in a state of transition, lacking both young and promising talents.
So their team has hardly ever gone out.
Even three years ago, Qin Mingxiu took Shen Qiuyue to broaden her horizons, but Shen Qiuyue was unable to officially participate in the competition because she was too young.
Although Shen Qiuyue was young, she had already shown her talent three years ago at the Northeast Arts Festival.
Ultimately, due to his age, he had to give up and wait three years before representing Heilongjiang Province again in the joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces.
No one else present knew about the joint performance and competition of the three northeastern provinces.
But Shen Qiuyue knew the truth. She opened her eyes wide in confusion, not understanding.
Her teacher had been suspended, and even her junior sister had received a major demerit, which led to her being investigated as well.
Under these circumstances, can she still participate in the joint competition of the three northeastern provinces?
She went to see Commander Cao, who gave her a look that said, "Take it easy."
When Commander Fang saw this, she frowned deeply and asked directly, "In previous years, the joint performance competition of the three northeastern provinces selected the champion from within our Heilongjiang province to participate. Why are you bringing in this whole team this year?"
The reason why the people below didn't know about the joint competition of the three northeastern provinces was because they didn't win the championship.
Not winning the championship means that you are naturally at a disadvantage in terms of information.
This is the information advantage of being at the top.
Because the people at the top have taken all the industry information.
The old regimental commander glanced at Director He and coughed lightly, "It's the same every year."
"But this year is a bit special—" he dropped a bombshell, "Shen Qiuyue from the Jilin City Cultural Troupe will be a substitute, joining Meng Yingying from the Harbin City Cultural Troupe in the provincial team!"
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Author's note: Writing this was exhausting, as I'm not very good at it, so I crammed on a lot of workplace knowledge and even interviewed former colleagues. The more I learned, the more shocked I became!
Workplace gossip is so juicy!
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